Looking at Mosaics in the Alhambra
by Robert Tyminski

The Alhambra is located in Granada, Spain, on a hill between the Darro River and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Alhambra comes from Arabic meaning “the red one” because of the reddish color of the local clay used in building its walls. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for being one of the finest examples of medieval Muslim architecture and consists of a fortress, palaces, and an enclosed town.2 Its construction dates from the thirteenth century when the Nasrids established themselves as rulers in this southern kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula. By the eighth century, however, the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula had already included nearly all of modern-day Spain and Portugal. Al-Andalus, as it was known, was ruled by the Almohads in the twelfth century before the Nasrids took over; many of these Muslims originated in Northwest Africa, which had been part of the Islamic conquest that spread during the seventh and eighth centuries. Their armies subsequently advanced to the Iberian Peninsula. Muhammad I was the first Nasrid ruler to begin construction on the site of the Alhambra after coming to power in 1238 (see Barry 2022, 43–96). The Nasrid kingdom lasted for just over 250 years until their defeat by the Spanish under King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492.

In this article, I will review some highlights of the Alhambra’s history, provide an overview of its layout, and then discuss the mosaics there.

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